Portioning devices are used in the food industry in order to portion food servings, particularly spherically shaped servings of ice cream. In this case, the food or ice cream is removed from the storage receptacle with the scoop of the portioning device, and the spherically shaped serving is then placed on a plate, in a bowl or on an ice cream cone. The food is separated from the scoop of the portioning device with the aid of a blade that is arranged very close to the inner surface of the scoop. When the two handle halves are pressed together, this blade is pivoted along the inner side of the scoop such that the food or ice cream is separated therefrom.
After each handling of the portioning device, it is subjected to a cleaning process that frequently consists of placing the apparatus into a water container and, if so required, stirring the portioning device back and forth. It is common practice to remove the drops of rinsing water from the scoop of the portioning device before it is used again. For this purpose, the scoop of the portioning device is usually wiped off with a cloth or sponge. However, this removal of the rinsing water is not only carried out for hygienic reasons. When removing ice cream from the storage receptacle, water drops adhering to the scoop should also be prevented from crystallizing into ice which can negatively affect the consistency and the taste of the ice cream.
The customary practice of wiping off the rinsing water adhering to the portioning device is not a truly hygienic measure anyhow. The rinsing water absorbed by the cloth or sponge and the food remains form an ideal nutrient medium for bacteria. The bacteria are then transferred to the scoop and the foods being served with this scoop. With respect to hygienic aspects, the portioning devices according to the state of the art, as well as their function and operation, are not only highly questionable, but may also be in breach of the pertinent regulations of the hygiene law.
When operating manual portioning devices, a certain expenditure of force is required in order to press together the two handle halves. The exerted force serves for overcoming the pull-back spring in the handle, for overcoming the friction and for separating the food from the scoop. This expenditure of force is justifiable if the portioning device is only used occasionally. However, the monotonous load resulting from the constant operation of the portioning device subjects the hand and arm of the user to a significant stress. In this context, it is particularly important to realize the two handle halves of the portioning device ergonomically. Portioning devices according to the state of the art only provide inadequate solutions in this respect.
Another problem in the utilization of manual portioning devices is that the actually sold quantity of spherically shaped servings normally cannot be determined. Especially if the portioning device is used for ice cream, the large quantities of actually dispensed ice cream scoops on hot days usually can only be estimated. Since the ice cream vendor and the business owner occasionally are not same person, there is an inherent risk of fraud in the settlement of accounts between the vendor and the business owner.
In the light of these circumstances, the invention aims to further develop portioning devices for foods, particularly ice cream, in such a way that the previously described disadvantages are eliminated and the handling and effectiveness of the portioning device with respect to the dispensing of spherically shaped servings are improved. In addition, the invention also aims to disclose a method for dispensing spherically shaped food servings.